B. S. in Community Health

The Department of Kinesiology is a learning community of caring, committed faculty, staff, and students dedicated to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service within the liberal arts tradition. Our innovative curricula and services focus on the interactions among human movement, personal growth, and wellness. We work with diverse populations in a variety of settings in order to promote healthy lifestyles and societal interactions.

The Department offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education with a track in Community Health and Human Services. The Community Health and Human Services program utilizes a mixture of classroom experiences and practical application opportunities. The curriculum consists of courses from a variety of disciplines including health education, health sciences, and behavioral sciences. Central to the program of study is applied service learning opportunities offered through a range of course projects, practicum settings, and internships. Students develop skills in a variety of areas including analysis of community health issues, health promotion program planning and implementation, and instructional methods.

What is a Health Educator?Health educators are professionals who design, conduct, and evaluate activities that help improve the health of all people. These activities can take place in a variety of settings that include schools, communities, health care facilities, businesses,universities and government agencies. Health educators are employed under a range of job titles such as patient educators,health education teachers, health coaches, communityorganizers, public health educators, and health program managers (NCHEC.org).

Professional Competencies

There are Seven Areas of Responsibility consisting of a comprehensive set of competencies and sub-competencies that are expected of an entry-level health educator. These include:

These Responsibilities were established by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. These guide the Health Education: Community Health and Human Services curriculum at Georgia College and serve as the basis of the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam. Specialists are those who have met the standards of competence and have successfully passed the CHES examination. The CHES designation after a health educator's name is one indication of professional competency and commitment to continued professional development.

What can you do with a degree in Community Health and Human Services?Students graduating from the Community Health and Human Services program are prepared for a career in public health, community health, social services, corporate wellness, and patient education settings.

Diagnose, investigate health problems, health hazards in the community

Inform, educate, empower people about health issues

Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems

Develop policies, plans that support individual and community health efforts

Enforce laws, regulations that protect health, ensure safety

Link people to needed health services

Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality health services

Conduct research for innovative solutions to health problems

Beneficial Skills

Computer technology

Organization & record keeping skills

Able to work independently & as a team

Report writing, grant writing

Teaching, assessing, planning, and evaluating

Interpersonal Skills

Individual/Group health counseling skills

Knowledge of community health issues

Marketing, public relations

Research

Community organizing

For further information on professional opportunities in Health Education, read: "Health Educators Working for Wellness" (pdf) by Colleen Teixeira, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Summer 2007.

Is Health Education right for me?Are you concerned about your health and the health of others? Are you a caring person who likes working with people? Would you enjoy motivating individuals to achieve healthy lifestyle behaviors? Can you see yourself working with community members to help reduce health or social problems? If so, then Health Education might be the right career choice for you.